Category: Opinion

Gabon investigates possible rape of U-20 players

Posted on by RJ Allen

In mid-May, the Gabon U-20 women’s national team traveled to Marseille for the Sud Ladies Cup. The tournament should have been a good opportunity for the young team to develop their skills and get the feel for an international tournament. But instead, the tournament quickly dissolved into hell on and off the field.

On the field, the players conceded 44 goals and scored none, unless you count the two own goals. They lost all five of their matches. But off the field, the players were forced into a cramped hotel room, where small mattresses were pushed together side-by-side on the floor of a large room (you can see a photo of the conditions here). The players had their phones and passports confiscated. They still haven’t been paid. 

These conditions would be unacceptable on their own. But in addition to these problems, the women have also reported allegations of rape and sexual assault. I couldn’t find details of the allegations, but the Sports Minister of Gabon said, “Young women selected to the national team’s under-20 football team, report abuse, sexual harassment, touching and rape allegedly committed by the team’s technical and administrative staff.” 

The Sports Minister, Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze asked the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) to open an investigate. He also referred the matter to a public prosecutor, which could lead to legal proceedings. 

FEGAFOOT released a statement condemned alleged sexual practices between the players and members of staff, but avoided using language about sexual harassment or violence. 

The information about this case is very limited. But as Shireen Ahmed said in her article for Time, as we approach the 2019 Women’s World Cup, it is important to remember the women who aren’t there. Women should not have to live in horrific conditions and suffer physical, mental, or sexual assault to play the sport that they love. And it’s up to us to stand by these women and make sure their stories are told. If they can’t count on the women’s soccer community, who can they count on?  

What I’m Reading: Women’s World Cup Edition

Posted on by RJ Allen

There has been a lot of great content happening around the lead up to the Women’s World Cup kicking off on Friday.

I wanted to take the time to highlight some of the things I’ve been reading and finding the most engaging as we prepare for the 2019 event.

Reports of Germany’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated and A Beginners Guide to the Women’s World Cup by Charles Olney

Charles is one one of the people I always look forward to seeing what he comes up with. His preview is a great guide to the World Cup and makes things a bit easier to wrap your head around. And well, Germany is not out of this by a long shot.

France at the World Cup: Could This Be The Year? by

No one loves France like Allison loves France. And after reading this piece you may also love France.

This Is the Most Anticipated Women’s World Cup Ever. But Corruption and Abuse Still Block Women From Soccer by Shireen Ahmed. 

It is heartbreaking and maddening o read this piece but it is a piece that should be required reading for all.

SBNation Women’s World Cup Top Fifty Players by SBNation Staff.

This is a very well done piece and a very nice piece to look at. Find these players in games and watch. They are amazing.

The one thing every World Cup contender needs to win it all by Kim McCauley

Kim is one of the best there is and this is a great piece on what each team needs to go the distance.

We Put Too Many Expectations on Alex Morgan by RJ Allen

What? If I won’t promote my work, who will?

Tierna Davidson remains unbothered by Steph Yang

Tierna Davidson is pretty rad and Steph Yang is great at writing about rad people.

 

We Put Too Many Expectations on Alex Morgan

Posted on by RJ Allen

Alex Morgan has over 100 caps and 100 games for her national team. She has a World Cup title. She’s has an Olympic gold medal at home too. And an NWSL title. And a Champions League title.

She has done pretty well for herself is what I’m saying.

But when I think of Alex Morgan’s greatest moments I think of 2011 and 2012. I think of the player who busted her way on to the scene with a slightly unusual gate and the ability to lift the world on her shoulders. That player was exciting to watch, that player made everyone else look a little bit slower and a little bit less good than they were.

I think of Morgan when all she had to be was really good at playing soccer.

But time and injury changed who she is on the pitch. She is no longer the young player who can play without major expectations on her shoulders. She is not the player with an older, more famous, more experienced forward alongside her. She is that forward now and all the weight of the world now rests on her. Every move is broken down, slowed down, fast forwarded and watched over and over by millions of people.

Don’t get me wrong, expectations are fine as long as they are reasonable. But when they reach the level that no one would be able to meet them they became a stone around a player’s neck.

Morgan has the fate of the game on her shoulders in ways that seem impossible for anyone to come out from under. And oh my do heavy expectations seem to cling to Morgan. She has to be the role model that everyone can relate to and she has to be flawless in front of HD cameras and she has to score all the biggest goals and she has to lead equal pay lawsuits. We expect too much and come down too hard when those expectations aren’t met.

The crazy thing is just how much less we expect out of male athletes. Sure we expect the best forwards to score goals when their team needs them. We expect on the field things. But do we really expect Messi to look flawless on camera or to champion issues off of the field? No, we expect him to play soccer. He is afforded the luxury of just being able to have one job. Play soccer really, really well and make an obscene amount of money doing it.

I don’t think many people will argue with the fact that 2015 was not the best tournament Morgan has ever had. It’s not even the best World Cup tournament Morgan has ever had. She was coming off an injury and there were so many other story lines around that 2015 team. It was a team defined by Abby Wambach finally get her title and Lauren Holiday retiring and Carli Lloyd’s hat trick. It was a tournament that became catharsis for a team that hadn’t gotten it done in 16 years.

But 2019? Sure, there is the storyline of if the US can go back-to-back but largely people are putting those hopes on Morgan. Yes, players like Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath, Mal Pugh and Christen Press are going to get articles written about them and we will see footage of Ertz and Horan broken down to the point of madness. But Morgan is now the starting center forward on a team that are the favorites in the World Cup. Even if she wasn’t Alex Morgan that is going to come with pressure. Because she is, there is even more added on.

I hope Morgan plays well. I hope she scores a lot of goals. I hope she finds the form that we’ve seen flashes of her whole career. I hope most of all I don’t see 10 pieces written about how her legacy is forever diminished if she is merely good, merely solid, merely human after the final game is played.

France at the World Cup: Could This Be The Year?

Posted on by RJ Allen

In less than a week, France will kickoff the 2019 Women’s World Cup as the host nation, playing their opening match against South Korea in Paris. The French National Team, or Les Bleues as they’re known, are one of the favorites to win the tournament. But what do we know about the French team and how much of a chance do they really have to walk away with the title?

France is currently No. 4 in the FIFA World Rankings. They have been one of the best squads in the world for a while, despite having never won a major title (unless you count the SheBelieves Cup). Their best finish at the World Cup was fourth place in 2011. But they will be motivated to prove themselves on home soil, especially after suffering a devastating defeat to Germany in the Quarterfinals of the 2015 tournament.

Since that last tournament, France has brought on a new head coach and lost some of their biggest stars to retirement. Corinne Diacre became France’s head coach in 2017. She led the national team as a defender and team captain during her playing career, making 121 appearances for France between 1993 and 2005. She also made history as the first woman to coach a men’s competitive match in France when she took charge of second-tier side Clermont in 2014.

Some of the big names that won’t be gracing the pitch for France this year include Louisa Necib, Camile Abilly, Elodie Thomis, Laure Boulleau, and Laura Georges. They have a combined total of close to 700 appearances for France, with Georges sitting at No. 2 all time (behind Sandrine Soubeyrand with 198 caps). Those are some big losses for France, but where there are players retiring, there are youngsters ready to fill their shoes.

The team’s biggest names all play for Olympique Lyon, who won their fourth consecutive Champions League title last month. At 6’2, Wendie Renard is a dominant force in the central defense. She has captained this team before but has recently passed those honors off to Amandine Henry. This season, she led a Lyon defense that allowed just 11 goals across all matches in the 2018-2019 campaign. She will be joined in the defense by her Lyon teammate Amel Majri, who is naturally a midfielder but has been playing at left back in recent years. Majri is a difference maker for the French squad and was sorely missed in their 2017 Euro’s tournament. If she can stay healthy, she will be a huge asset to this French side.

Amandine Henry, the current captain for France, is the best midfielder on the French team and one of the best midfielders in the world. She spent two years playing for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL before joining Lyon. While she plays as a defensive midfielder, she always plays a critical role in the attack as well. Gaetane Thiney made the World Cup roster, despite those who thought the 2015 tournament would be her last. She will be looking to redeem herself after missing an easy goal that would have taken France through to the semi-finals in 2015.

Eugenie Le Sommer has long been the leader of the attack for France. She has 74 goals in 159 caps with France and 163 goals in 175 appearances with Lyon. Despite her creativity, Le Sommer and the French attack have historically had problems finishing. Two players to keep an eye on for France are two of the younger strikers Head Coach Corinne Diacre has included in the roster: Delphine Cascarino and Valerie Gauvin. Gauvin has five goals in France’s last seven friendlies, while Cascarino scored a brace against Denmark.

One notable absence from the French roster is Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who has scored 53 goals in 57 appearances for PSG since she joined the squad in 2015. Katoto had an inconsistent year, putting on a poor performance for PSG in Champions League competition, but Diacre’s decision apparently stemmed from her belief that the 20-year-old striker lacks focus and wasn’t ready for the world’s biggest stage.

The key for France will be finishing their chances. Despite having some of the best attacking players in the world, France’s failure in big moments has always come from not finishing. The opportunity for France to win the title this year, a year after the men won their title, on home soil is indescribable. But France also tends to underperform, to cave to the pressure in big moments. Will they be able to overcome that tendency and become the first country to ever hold the men’s and women’s titles simultaneously? Only time will tell.

We Need to Talk About Richie Burke

Posted on by RJ Allen

We need to talk about Richie Burke.

The Washington Spirit, a team that finished with just 11 points in all of 2018, are sitting at the top of the NWSL standings right now with 16 points.

You’d expect that accomplishment to send a wave of praise toward coach Richie Burke and the Washington players, but what we’ve actually seen is more of a ripple.

This winter, the parent of a former youth player at FC Virginia alleged that Burke had used abusive and homophobic language when he was coaching there. Stephanie Yang wrote about the allegations for Black and Red United back in February.

It’s hard enough to get any accountability when it comes to actual crimes, with even sexual or physical violence sometimes treated like an inconvenience more than anything else. When it comes to something as “harmless” as using abusive and homophobic language people are often willing to treat it as nothing more than a coach being a hard ass.

But the allegations are actually quite simple. A man in a position of power over young men used abusive and homophobic language as a way to degrade and humiliate them. This display of anger and aggression should be as unacceptable as a coach putting their hands on a player. The coach in question should not pass go and should not get put in charge of professional level players after the allegations are swept back under the rug. 

The most striking part of this isn’t that someone in a position of power is alleged to have used abusive and homophobic language. The most striking part is the reaction to those allegations. Since the story came out, the NWSL and the Washington Spirit have done, well, nothing.  

There has been no publicly announced formal investigation that would allow the league and the team look at what was alleged to have happened. There been no comments from Burke about soul-searching, not even a mealy-mouthed apology about ‘misunderstandings,’ no commitment to work on developing a better understanding of the issue. Nor do any of these parties seem all that concerned with severity of the allegations. 

No, there is just this comment given to John D. Halloran after Washington played Chicago.

 

And while we have heard nothing from the team or the league about the allegations, we do hear about Burke in the commentary on NWSL games, where fans and media are subjected to endless positive discussion. No context, no effort to even mention the allegation, just sugary sweet positivity that claws at the back of your throat.

Fans deserve better than this. They deserve consistent, committed announcers who understand the league, the storylines and the on and off the field happenings, and who aren’t afraid to discuss the good and the bad. Something more measured instead of that cloying sweet positivity could keep casual viewers in the loop, and lend some support to those who have serious concerns about these allegations.

On one hand, what Burke is accused to doing is deeply disturbing. But on the other hand . . . you know what? Sometimes there isn’t an other hand.

Richie Burke has apparently made the Washington Spirit play better soccer. But that doesn’t mean anything where it comes to the issue of abuse.

The NWSL and Washington have gotten this all wrong.  They should have taken serious action months ago, done their due diligence, and seriously looked into these issues. If Burke is innocent, there should have been a real effort to figure it out. And if he isn’t innocent, there should be repercussions. A fine and suspension would not be out of line. Maybe more. It doesn’t matter that it was a former job. Sam Johnson had to sit out a game for the Utah Royals because of an Australia W-League red card. Why shouldn’t Burke be held to at least that standard?

The NWSL and Washington want to sweep this under the rug. But it’s not going to go away, and someone has to address the Burke issue. The media isn’t going to stop asking about him, and Washington doesn’t look like they are going to be out of the headlines anytime soon.

The Game Changers: Week Seven

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the most important results each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

We are nearly two months into the 2019 NWSL season, and things are not taking shape the way many of us expected them to. With six or seven games come and gone for each team, it is the Utah Royals who sit in the No. 1 spot in the standings, tied with the No. 2 Washington Spirit in points but leading on goal differential. The North Carolina Courage, who were unstoppable in 2018, have dropped to the No. 7 spot with just nine points in seven matches. It’s still early enough in the season that most teams are within five points of each other, with only Sky Blue and the Orlando Pride falling far behind the rest of the pack, but the standings are eye-catching for sure. Here is a full breakdown of this week’s results: 

Sky Blue vs. Portland Thorns (0-1)

Utah Royals vs. Orlando Pride (2-0)

Chicago Red Stars vs. Washington Spirit (0-2)

Reign FC vs. North Carolina Courage (2-1)

The Washington Spirit earn another win against a difficult opponent

The Washington Spirit have had a surprisingly strong start to the 2019 campaign. Under new head coach Richie Burke, the Spirit are 4-1-1. They added on another 2-0 win this weekend over the Chicago Red Stars, who had won their last two matches going into this game. Despite being on the road and not having goal-scorer Cheyna Matthews, who joined the Jamaica national team ahead of their first World Cup appearance, the Spirit still managed to knock two back and earn three points. 

The first goal, admittedly, was a scramble at the goal line that ended up counting as a Yuki Nagasato own goal. In the 63rd minute, Ashley Hatch took advantage of a favorable deflection to find the back of the net again for the Spirit, giving them the 2-0 lead. Of course, the Spirit’s defense– led by goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe– put on a stellar performance, facing 20 shots and requiring seven saves. Still, Washington’s offense did their part to earn the points and the Spirit are cruising along in a close second place. Can they keep this momentum going? 

Reign FC earn their second straight victory. 

Two weeks ago, Reign FC hadn’t earned their first win of 2019 and were struggling with just three points in four games. But in the last two weeks, they’ve earned back-to-back wins and breathed some life into their struggling squad. This week, they were able to hand the North Carolina Courage their second defeat of the season. We’ll focus on the Courage’s perspective in a moment, but for now, let’s keep our eyes on Reign FC.

Jess Fishlock returned to the lineup for Reign FC this week, inevitably having a massive impact after she missed the beginning of the season on loan to Olympique Lyon. She had four shots in the game and played a full 90 minutes. But the goals went to Bethany Balcer, who opened up scoring with a powerful header in the first fifteen minutes, and Shea Groom, who capitalized on a mistake from Katelyn Rowland towards the end of the match and solidified the win for the Reign. After a slow start to the season, we might be starting to see Reign FC in the form they’re hoping for.

 North Carolina Courage drop more points.

Perhaps we are all too adjusted to seeing North Carolina dominated painlessly, but there recent string of results is starting to become concerning. After earning their first loss since 2018 two weeks ago against the Chicago Red Stars, the Courage earned another loss on the road this weekend. They have now earned just two points in their last four matches, and sit in the No. 7 spot in the table. 

Surely, losing their national team players is having an impact on this team. But that might not be the only force at work here. The team still had Abby Erceg, who scored the lone goal for the Courage, but were unable to buckle down on the defensive end. Rowland made a careless mistake that may have cost her team points, and Lynn Williams has had even more trouble finishing than usual. Is it time to be worried about this North Carolina team? I think they’re still one of the top teams in the league. But a month ago, I would have said they were untouchable. The inevitable shift seems like it may have begun.

 

Will Tobin Heath Really Play Outside Back In France?

Posted on by RJ Allen

Will Jill Ellis play Tobin Heath as an outside back in France? 

For a while on Sunday afternoon, as the USWNT took on Mexico, that’s exactly where she was. Though it was more standing there than playing there. And as I watched, the thought rolled through my mind: is this really going to happen?

This isn’t the only question around this team. With the US on their way to France, there still are plenty of lingering issues. Part of that is because the team hasn’t played a truly competitive match since March. So we’ve seen plenty of games, but none that really told us key things. So we’re still left wondering who will be on the pitch, who won’t, and what that means for the fate of the team.

And thinking about Heath as a potential fullback gets me thinking more broadly about the dichotomy between true depth and the illusion of depth. 

If you want to see true depth, look to the midfield. Sam Mewis, Morgan Brian, Julie Ertz, Lindsey Horan, Rose Lavelle and Allie Long provide as deep a pool in the middle of the park as a coach could want. While Horan is the presumed starter, Mewis is a unique talent that is able to step in and work with just about any pairing Ellis might ask of her. Ertz can play just about anywhere with expert skill. And seeing Lavelle in person with the ball is a sight to behold. The way she reads the game and manages to get defenders befuddled as she moves forward on the pitch is a thing of beauty.

Sure there are questions on if Brian is healthy enough or if Allie Long will be able to use her particular skill set at an effective level for the national team. But most of the questions around the midfield are due to an overabundance of talent.

Contrast this with the outside back position. You have Kelley O’Hara and Crystal Dunn as the starters. But in the post game mixed zone Dunn called herself an “attacking minded player” nearly a dozen times while answering questions from the assembled media. She’s willing to do the job, but is hardly a true defender. So if you start with Dunn, and want to make a change (reasonable on a day when it was so hot you could fry an egg on the pavement outside Red Bull Arena), it makes a certain kind of sense to swap in Tobin Heath. But the logic here is an extremely twisted kind.

I didn’t know in the year 2019 I needed to say this, but Tobin Heath is not an outside back. And watching her in person only confirmed that. In the first half she was comfortable and energetic. All that faded once she was moved to the left back spot. She didn’t look like she was particularly interested in defending–taking any chance to go forward–but those movements were aimless and uncomfortable. And why wouldn’t they be? Ellis suggested in her post game remarks that the difference between left back and left forward in this rotation wasn’t all that great. But there’s actually a big difference. You can’t just swap players interchangeably and expect it to work. The responsibilities are different, the angles are different, the way you get involved in play is different.

So why did Ellis try it? Does it maybe tell us just how little she actually wants to rely on Ali Krieger – who made the roster but still faces real worries about how she’ll perform if called upon? Or is it just some practice for a desperation move in a game where they’ve used all their subs? It’s hard to say.

Ultimately, only time will tell if this effort to force wingers in as outside backs will burn the Americans. If they win the 2019 Women’s World Cup it may be just a forgotten bit of commentary in 20 years. 

Why Everyone Should Go See The Spirit At Audi Field

Posted on by RJ Allen

On Thursday, I received an email from the Washington Spirit announcing that tickets are on sale for the two matches they will play at Audi Field in downtown D.C.—one against the Orlando Pride on August 24th and one against Reign FC on September 14th.

I want to go to these games. And I think everyone else should too.

We should not underestimate what a massive opportunity these matches represent for the Spirit. The team usually plays at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland. On public transportation, it would take close to two hours to get there from downtown D.C. By car, that time gets cut down to 55 minutes. The reality is that the team isn’t very accessible to a lot of people that live in the D.C. area.

When we look at attendance troubles across the league, accessibility is an issue. Cost is another factor. For tickets to the Spirit’s recent home match against the Portland Thorns, the lowest cost ticket in the stands was $25. That’s not a ridiculous price, but when you factor in the commute, it’s out of reach for most people. They might be willing to pay $25 or $50 bucks to go watch a game at a professional soccer stadium downtown, but not at a recreational field in the suburbs.

I don’t know what kind of conversations are going on between the Washington Spirit and D.C. United with regards to Audi Field. But the Spirit should be pushing to move there full time. The move would lift the profile of D.C. soccer, and would certainly help push the Spirit in the direction of growth that the NWSL is looking for. I can’t guarantee that people will come to Spirit games in the same numbers that they come to D.C. United games. But I do know that playing at the Maryland SoccerPlex is a dead end, with little room for expanding the fan base or the attendance.

If NWSL wants to get casual sports fans, it needs to be accessible. Right now, the Spirit are not. Last year, the Spirit attracted nearly 8,000 fans when they played the Portland Thorns in late August. They will have the opportunity to prove that they can draw those numbers again or maybe even more fans this time around. With good numbers, who knows where talks could lead.

We need to support the Washington Spirit. If we want a women’s soccer franchise in the District, we need to show up for them. I’m going to go to at least one of these games, and I hope everyone else does too. It could be just the spark this organization needs.

The Game Changers: Week Six

Posted on by RJ Allen

The Game Changers is a weekly series looking at the most important results each week. Each section will look at one team and how its win, loss, or draw impacts the season.

Another week has gone by in the NWSL, and things are getting interesting. The Chicago Red Stars currently sit in the No. 1 spot in the table with six games under their belt and an impressive 3-1-2 start to the season. It’s not surprising that the Red Stars are currently No. 1, but the other teams rounding out the top four are a bit more shocking: the Utah Royals, the Houston Dash, and the Washington Spirit, who all have ten points. Two teams– Orlando Pride and Sky Blue FC– have yet to win a game this season, while Reign FC earned their first win over the weekend against New Jersey. Here are the results from this weekend:

Reign FC vs. Sky Blue (2-1)

Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns (3-1)

North Carolina Courage vs. Utah Royals (1-1)

Houston Dash vs. Chicago Red Stars (1-2)

The Washington Spirit defeat the Portland Thorns

One of the more surprising results over the weekend was a 3-1 victory for the Washington Spirit over the Portland Thorns at Maryland SoccerPlex. There are many factors to be considered here, including many international players absent and Portland’s never-ending road trip (they haven’t played at home in 2019 and won’t until their stadium renovations are complete). But the win lifts the Spirit to 10 points in five games and a 3-1-1 record. Under a new (questionable) head coach, that’s impressive. 

And the Spirit are finding success without Rose Lavelle and Mallory Pugh, who are both away on international duty. They have plenty of struggles on the field, but they are finding a way to score points and win games not only against teams like Sky Blue, but also against teams like Portland. Things are shaping up under Head Coach Richie Burke, and the Spirit have proven that they could be a dark horse this season.

North Carolina Courage drop more points at home.

After being handed their first loss since June 2018 last week, the Courage dropped more points when they returned home this weekend to face the Utah Royals. North Carolina out shot Utah 18-2, with three shots on goal compared to Utah’s won. But in the end, North Carolina couldn’t finish and they split the points with the Royals at home. 

North Carolina fans should not be too worried. The Courage are still one of, if not the best, team in the league. They’re dangerous with or without their internationals, and I absolutely expect them to be a playoff team. But they’re looking much more vulnerable in 2019 than they did in 2018, with a 2-1-3 record through six games. Is it possible that teams are starting to figure them out? 

The Houston Dash lose to the Chicago Red Stars. 

The Houston Dash have been completely unpredictable this season, and Saturday’s match against the Chicago Red Stars was no exception. There is no shame in losing to the Red Stars, who are playing one of the best games in the league right now. It was the Dash’s first glance at life without Rachel Daly and it was… okay. They got 9 shots to the Red Stars 13 and possession was nearly even. Sam Kerr has proven unstoppable and her brace is what ultimately won the match for her team.

The Dash are 3-2-1 this season. While they sit in the No. 3 spot right now, they still feel like a middle-of-the-pack team. Every time it feels like they’re breaking out– like getting that win last week over the undefeated Utah Royals– they’ll have a game like this and we’ll question again whether they really have what it takes. There is a lot of season left to go, but they’ll be missing these points at the end of the year.